Improved apparatus foe evaporating sorghum juice and other liquids



H. FOWLER. APPARATUS FOREVAPORATING $0R.GHUM JUICE AND OTHER LIQUIDS.

No. 66,480. Patented July 9, 1867.

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IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATIHG- SORGHUM JUICE AND OTHER LIQUIDS.

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TO ,ALL WHOM IT MAY OONGERNi Be it known that I, HEivnY FOWLER, Of BIOIISO'IL lH t'he'county of Branch, in the State of Michigan, have.

invented certain new and useful improvements in :1 Steam Apparatus or Boiling-Pan for Evaporating Sorghum Juice, Cider, or other Matter; and the following is .a'full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference, being had to the accompanying drawings makinga part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a side longitudinal section throuiglrthe pan, showing the steam ehest, heating pipes,

induction pipe, safety-valve, and siphon for clearing thc'pipes of water from the condensed steam.

Figure 2 shows a plan or top view of the same.

The object ofmy invention is to evaporate the'juiceof sorghum,'suger cane, cider, or other liquids, and reduce them to sirups, without the possibility of burning, scorching, or discoloring the substance.

My invention consists'in the construction and arrangement of a steam-chest, and a series of steam pipes converging into'an enlarged central pipe or water-chamber, so that the water from condensed steam. can be drawn off or forced out by the pressure of the steam, the arrangement of the pipes being'such that the greatest heatis produced in the central portions of the pan, thus throwing the scum to the sides, and particularly to the left-hand corners of the evaporator, where it can be taken, ofi.

To enable others to make and use my improved steam apparatus for boiling or evaporating sorghum, cider, maple sap, &c., for clarifying or reducing to sirup, I will describe it more fully, referring to the drawings and to the letters marked thereon.

The boiling-pan or evaporator A A may be made of tin, sheet copper, brass, or, of any suitable material, andv of any desired size andvform. The pen A A being-supported on nt-frame, B B, with legs 6 6 so as to be at a convenient height. The sides and bottom of the evaporating-pan maybe covered on. the under side with a wood casing, G C, so as not to hecooled off by the circulation of the air from beneath. At or near the bottom of the pan AA, inside, is pliieed the heating apparatus, which consists of a steam-chamber, D, having a large vertical pipe, d, in its centrefor ;the introduction of steam into the chamber D which is placed horizontally in the bottom near one en'd of'the pan. From the centre of the chamber D extends the central or main steam pipe E, which lies horizontal in the centre of the pan A A, and terminates in an enlarged conical pipe, F, whichforms areceiver or water-chamber for the condensed steam from all of the other pipes, whose ends terminate in .itwhere the water can easily. be forcedofl' through the small siphon pipef, placed in the lowest or sunken portion of the end of the jconical pipe F for that purpose. The water-discharging pipefis provided with a stop-cock, e, so as to be closed wheririt isnot necessary to discharge the distilled water from the condensed steam. A series of steam pipes, a a a a a, connects with the chamber D, and the conical pipe or waterhamber F. These pipes may be of any number suflici'ent to nearly cover the bottomof the pan A A, the steam being let in through the piped into the'chamber D. The main central pipe E being the longest willnecessarily be the hottest, as also the chamber D at the right-hand end, so that the ebullition commences there, and through the centre of the pan, and will continue to be so during the whole process of evaporation, thus driving all of the impurities and extraneous matter into a scum which flows ofl' to both sides of the pan, and-concentrates at the left-handcorners I I, where. most of the ebullition ceases, and the'scum can be taken off at: any timewhile the process of reducing and clarifying is going on. The water-chamber or receiver of condensed steam F is provided with a vertical steam eduction pipe, G, on the top of which is fitted a safety-valve, II, with an arm or lever, H, and a movable weight, It, so that any amount of pressure of steam may be used at anyor all times,

and regulated so as to produce much or little ebullition, which is important to be varied in the process ofjevapcrating different substances, and also at difl'erent periods in the some substance.

In boiling sorghum, juice of sugar cane, and sweet cider, the first part of the porcess'requires to be rapid, so as to separate and throw oh the impurities; and also in reducing maple sap, the first part of the operation is greatly. facilitated by a more intense heat. When the impurities are removed and the sirup begins to thicken,

then the heat wants to be less intense, and continue to diminish until the process is completed. This has heretofore and the more generally been e'fl'ected by changing the 'sirup into diflerent pans or kettles to be slowly finished 05', or byreducing the fire in the furnaces, and "than with the utmost caution the sirup often gets discolored and burht, so as to give it a disagreeableiloto fifnot entirely ruin it for the market. This is the experience of many with the most of the processes, now in use. Thus it will be seen that a boiling-pan or evapor ator, constructed as above described to operate by steam, the heating process may be regulated and varied at will, according to the conditions of the silbstance, or the timein the process of clarifying and reducing the liquid to the plastic or granular state, mainly by the amount of pressure of the steam in the chambers nd tubes in the boiling-pan. This is controlled by the lever and weight on the safety-valve.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

The arrangement of the steam-chamber D, pipes aa a, and E, connected with the'water-chamber F and discharging pipe f, in combination-with the eduction pipe G, safety-valve h, lever H, and weight is, operating substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

I also claim the arrangement of the-horizontal steam pipes in such a manner that the greatest heat will be in. the centre of the boiling-pan, thus throwing the impurities and scum to the sides and corners of the p n or evaporator, as and for the purposes herein described.

his testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name on this 26th day of March, 1867.

HENRY FOWLER.

Witnesses:

G120. F. GILLAM, Hungry Pownnss 

